Victoria Falls - "the Smoke that Thunders"

Victoria Falls, a spectacular waterfall more than one mile wide, lies the on Zambezi River at the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Its local name "Mosi-oa-Tunya", means the Smoke that Thunders referring to the huge cloud of spray thrown up from the falls.

The first European to discover the falls was David Livingstone in 1855 who named it after his queen, Victoria.

The Falls are made up of a zigzagging series of gorges formed by erosion over many thousands of years. It is 1,708m (5,604 ft) wide and has a maximum height of 108m (355 ft).

Victoria Falls is not the highest or widest waterfall in the world, but it is the largest sheet of water combining both the width and height. February to May the river is in full flood and during that time it is impossible to see the bottom of the falls and the spray reaches hundreds of metres into the air. For the remainder of the year, the falls are much more accessible. These photos were taken in November.


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